Abstract
BackgroundWhile motorcycles are essential for moving people and goods, they are also, a significant contributor to Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs), making it a public health issue of concern globally. The Hohoe Municipal Hospital records increasing RTAs due to commercial motorcycles. Determining motorcycle riders’ compliance with road safety regulations is critical in helping to curb this menace.MethodA cross-sectional study was employed involving a multistage sample of 238 motorcycle riders. Data were collected using a pretested structured questionnaire and entered into Epi Data version 3.2 software and exported to STATA software version 12 for analysis. Descriptive and inferential analyses were done while statistical significance was determined at 95% reliability interval and p-value of 0.05.FindingsThe level of compliance with road safety regulations among respondents was 59.2%. The mean age of respondents was 29.9 ± 7.9 years, and all respondents were males. Respondents who did not own their motorbikes were 0.39 times less likely to comply with road safety regulations compared to their counterparts who owned one, while those without alternate occupations were 0.51times less likely to comply with road safety regulations compared to those with an additional occupation. Those aged between 30–39 years and 40–49 years were 2.37 and 4.1 times more likely to comply with road safety regulations, respectively, compared to those aged ≤29 years, and those who did not smoke were 3.15 times more likely to comply with road safety regulations than those who smoked.ConclusionCompliance to safety regulations are fairly low and although motorcycle usage on a commercial basis is yet to be legalised in Ghana, routine education targeting riders who smoke, do not have alternate occupations, do not own motorbikes and younger riders will improve their compliance. Also, riders should be encouraged to obtain their license from the appropriate authorities.
Highlights
Motorcycles are essential for moving people and goods, they are a significant contributor to Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs), resulting in injuries and fatalities [1]; it is a public health issue of concern globally
Out of the 238 motorcycle riders who participated in the study, 76.9% owned motorbikes
Motor riders without alternate occupations were 49% less likely to comply with road safety regulations compared to those with an alternate occupation aside from riding [AOR: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.27–0.95, p = 0.033] and motorcycle riders who did not smoke were 3.15 times more likely to comply with road safety regulations [AOR: 3.15, 95% CI: 1.47–6.69, p = 0.003] (Table 3)
Summary
Motorcycles are essential for moving people and goods, they are a significant contributor to Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs), resulting in injuries and fatalities [1]; it is a public health issue of concern globally. The continent has the lowest number of vehicles, representing 2 percent of the world’s vehicle fleets [3]. It is currently rapidly experiencing an increase in commercial motorcycle usage. While motorcycles are essential for moving people and goods, they are a significant contributor to Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs), making it a public health issue of concern globally. Determining motorcycle riders’ compliance with road safety regulations is critical in helping to curb this menace
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